


bad things

by notascientist



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Based on a Tumblr Post, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, More relationship tags to be added - Freeform, Texting, but not NOT enemies, but not exactly enemies??, definitely antagonistic, entirely self indulgent but im not sorry, established woosan, hongjoong and wooyoung are best friends, members are 26/27/28, seonghwa continues to be the patron saint of suffering, seonghwa has ~secrets, tiny gremlin joong, wooyoung and yunho are cousins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:46:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26563831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notascientist/pseuds/notascientist
Summary: So, Hongjoong lied about having a boyfriend to avoid socializing with his coworkers.It’s not like he couldn’t be dating if he wanted. He has a shining, if sometimes eclectic, personality, a brand-spankin' new contract with Jung Entertainment Company after over a year as an intern and, well, he's hot. He’d openly admit that. He could absolutely be dating someone if he wanted. It's just not a priority.With this year's JEC Employee Awards Gala just around the corner and the increasing suspicions of Hongjoong's coworkers, he needs to find a boyfriend and fast.Enter Seonghwa.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 34
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a post on tumblr but it was an irl fake dating experience with lesbians, love that for them
> 
> this is entirely self-indulgent and silly! definitely a bit of a different vibe from the other WIPs i have atm (keep an eye out in the next week or so for my seongjoong x company AU and magic!seongjoong AU...sometime down the line). 
> 
> this is unbeta'd (rip)
> 
> title from bad things by meiko
> 
> im (sometimes) on tumblr at: willwoobemyfriend

This is fine. Everything is _fine_.

It’s not like they would _fire_ Hongjoong for lying, right? He’d just...lose all the hard-earned respect from his supervisor and colleagues he’d curated over the last year and a half.

**_Your conversation with: woo_ **

**joong:  
** i need you to participate in an ill-advised elaborate scheme

 **woo:  
** fuck  
YES  
im in  
what are we doing

 **joong:  
** you know how i prefer to spend my time outside of work with not work people

 **woo:  
** im a work people  
but go on

 **joong:  
** you don’t count  
listen i just like spending my time on my own shit leave me alone

 **woo:  
** yes im aware you’re an antisocial gremlin

 **joong:  
** i told my coworkers i have a boyfriend  
who works weird hours  
so i can say no when they bully me into socializing after work

 **woo:  
** LOL  
kay so whats the elaborate scheme

 **joong:  
** they’re STRONGLY insisting i bring my beloved boyfriend to the awards gala  
when i said no they started questioning his existence

 **woo:  
** the existence of your non-existent boyfriend

 **joong:  
** correct

 **woo:  
** and you want me to come to the gala with you and pretend to be said boyfriend

 **joong:  
** also yes

 **woo:  
** dumbass

 **joong:  
** wut

 **woo:  
** you remember where i work, yes??

 **joong:  
** fuck  
you’re the only one who’d agree without asking questions

 **woo:  
** false, i am also your only friend  
im sure you also remember the name on the building  
is the same as the ceo’s

 **joong:**  
shut up im thinking

 **woo:  
** which is the same as mine  
because she is mine very own mother  
so there’s a small chance i might be recognized by literally the entire company who are also very aware ive been with san for like, sixty years

 **joong:  
** its been two and a half

 **woo:  
** is that not what i said

 **joong:  
** what about craigslist

 **woo:  
** what would that ad even say

 **joong:  
** whats a synonym for bamboozle  
...  
oh no

 **woo:  
** how could this possibily get worse than placing an ad online to bamboozle your coworkers into thinking you’re dating someone so you don’t have to socialize with them

 **joong:  
** when said bamboozling ad gets flagged as trying to solicit a sex worker  
...i may have gotten my account suspended

 **woo:  
** hmm

 **joong:  
**??  
wait no  
i do not have any MONEY wooyoung  
i cannot hire a sex worker to be my fake boyfriend

 **woo:  
** out of curiosity  
did the thought of being honest never cross your mind  
“sry maddox i want to go home and sit in my underwear and scribble on old clothes”

 **joong:  
** i  
i do not scribble

 **woo:  
** “thanks for the invite eden but actually i want to do the exact same thing ive been doing at work all day except without any of u fuckers bossing me around, enjoy my mixtape when it drops to see how its done”

 **joong:  
** if you must know  
im an idiot  
and also a coward

 **woo:  
** wbk

 **joong:  
** eden was already pissed they threw an intern at him without warning  
he’s just as happy as i am that i have an excuse not to go out with the team

 **woo:  
** hold on  
im calling in the calvary

 **joong:  
** you can’t call san the calvary just because you ride him

 **woo:  
** 1) watch me  
b) he’s just secured you a date to participate in your ill-advised elaborate scheme who is not employed by jec

 **joong:  
** oh wow  
a Hero  
ride off into the sunset, ya’ll’ve earned it

 **woo:  
** i  
eugh no im ignoring the yallve  
question

 **joong:  
** answer

 **woo:  
** shut  
the fuck  
were you an idiot and give your coworkers a name

 **joong:  
** fuck no  
i did fake a call once and call him sweetie in front of them though

 **woo:  
** gross

 **joong:  
** don’t  
make me remind you of the shit you and san make me put up with

 **woo:  
** like participating in your ill-advised schemes to avoid socializing with your coworkers outside of mandatory work events like the awards gala

 **joong:  
** …  
u know what when you’re right you’re right

 **woo:  
** uh huh  
san gave him your number  
he’s gonna text you  
  


Hongjoong locks his phone and taps his fingers against the case anxiously before unlocking it again to ensure he hadn’t missed any notifications in the past thirty seconds. He had not. He tosses it out of reach and lays back on his bed.

It’s not like he _couldn’t_ be dating if he wanted. He has a shining, if sometimes eclectic, personality, a brand spankin’ new contract with Jung Entertainment Company after over a year as an intern and, well, he was hot. He’d openly admit that. He could _absolutely_ be dating someone if he wanted. It’s just not a priority.

Wooyoung likes to tease him about being a gremlin who never sees the light of day outside of work, but in all honesty, Hongjoong prefers it that way. He loves getting home to his comfortable, if cramped, studio apartment and lose himself in his projects with no interruptions (especially after 4 and a half years of living with Wooyoung).

He isn’t even starved for socialization, either. Hongjoong gets more than he needs through his friendship with Wooyoung, his long-time boyfriend, and his cousin at their mostly weekly movie nights and the odd time they go out dancing together.

Sure he _might_ owe his connection with the outside world to his college roommate, and he might _sometimes_ feel a little lonely on the odd day but it’s not nearly so bad that he feels the need to spend time with his coworkers for _fun_. If he ever seriously considers it he’ll know it’s time to adopt a cat.

Still staring at the ceiling, Hongjong throws his arm across his bed, slapping the comforter with an open hand in search of his discarded phone without bothering to turn his head. Maybe it was time to scroll through the local humane society’s Cat Adoption page. For research.

A notification for a text from an unknown number interrupts his increasing infatuation with a round, 12 year old orange tabby named Peanut.

**Unknown Number:  
** Is this Hongjoong?

 **Hongjoong:  
** …  
yes?  
omg are you my boyfriendd

 **Unknown Number:  
** San gave me your number  
He said you needed a date for something?

 **Hongjoong:  
** amazing  
hes the real mvp

 **Unknown Number:  
** Sure

Hongjoong’s bottom lip juts out a little. He was hoping for a little more enthusiasm for the charade.

 **Hongjoong:  
** so im not sure if he mentioned its not just?? a date?? i really hope he didn’t sell it as a date  
its more...performance art??

 **Unknown Number:  
** It’s definitely not that. Yes, he told me it’s to uphold a lie to your coworkers

 **Hongjoong:  
** ah cool okay  
should we meet up to discuss the uh, specifics?? they may be under the impression we’ve been dating for two years...

 **Unknown Number:  
** Could we just arrange a call instead? We really won’t have to lie about the weird hours thing.

 **Hongjoong:  
** uh yeah that could work  
what do you do?

 **Unknown Number:  
** I’m a student.

 **Hongjoong:  
** ahh well i did tell them you work  
so a bit more lying

 **Unknown Number:**   
It’s fine, I have placement hours and calling it work isn’t a stretch.

 **Hongjoong:  
** okay cool  
uh  
you got a name, mystery boyfriend??

 **Unknown Number:  
** Seonghwa

 **_Save contact as wet blanket?_** ****

**_Your conversation with: woo_ **

**joong:  
** i hate my boyfriend

 **woo:  
** you’ve been together for five seconds  
also you’re not even together  
what’s wrong with him

 **joong:  
** he’s acting like im asking to pull out his fingernails instead of going to a cool and fun event with a cool and fun producer

 **woo:  
** i thought he was going with you

 **joong:  
** haha.

 **woo:  
** do i know him???

 **joong:  
** idk  
seonghwa???

 **woo:  
** OH  
lolol don’t mind him  
that’s just who he is as a person

 **joong:  
** well if it goes badly at least theres an excuse to break up  
maybe i can convince yunho to be my next fake boyfriend

 **woo:  
** circling back  
his name is ALSO on the building  
because hes the ceos nephew  
and everyone knows hes whipped for that tall glass of water that signed last month

 **joong:  
** eugh yeah  
disgusting  
you can practically see the hearts in his eyes

 **woo:  
** its truly horrifying, yes

**_Your conversation with: wet blanket_ **

**Hongjoong:  
** so like not to be rude  
but why did you agree to do this  
did you owe san a favour??

There was a pause, and Hongjoong could swear he could hear a heavy sigh through their phone before the new message pops up.

 **wet blanket:  
** He’s blackmailing me, actually

 **Hongjoong:  
** huh  
are you sure its not wooyoung

 **wet blanket:  
** it’s definitely not Wooyoung

 **Hongjoong:  
** well now i feel bad :(

 **wet blanket:  
** Don’t. It’s whatever

Cool. Okay. He could work with whatever. Maybe.

Well, it _would_ give him an excuse to break up with him down the line, but Hongjoong’s not so sure about this. Closing the messaging app, he tosses his phone away before curling up on his couch with his laptop to continue working on a track well past midnight.

 ** _Your conversation with: wet blanket_**

**Hongjoong** :  
should i get a cat

 **wet blanket:  
** Pardon?

 **Hongjoong:  
** i don’t know how i could be any clearer  
should i get THIS cat in particular  
 _[IMG_peanut.jpg]_

 **wet blanket:  
** That cat is severely obese

 **Hongjoong:  
** pls do no fat shame my cat :(

 **wet blanket:  
** It’s not shaming, that cat should really be taken to a vet

 **Hongjoong:  
** he’s just chonky :(

 **wet blanket:  
** Do you have extra vet money?

 **Hongjoong:  
** who do you think i am

 **wet blanket:  
** Please do not get this cat

 **Hongjoong:  
** but chonky :(

 **wet blanket:  
** If you can’t take on the cost, don’t get a pet with health issues  
Actually don’t get any pet, you seem like the type of person to pick one with an extra toe just because it makes them unique  
Who knows what other complications they’d bring with them

 **Hongjoong:  
** :(

 **wet blanket:  
** Have you considered getting a nice marimo?

 **Hongjoong:  
** :( :(

 **wet blanket:  
** Please don’t get the cat, Hongjoong.

 **Hongjoong:  
** you’re mean  
sorry peanut

 **wet blanket:  
** Why are you up so late, anyways?  
Why did you message me, in particular, about this

 **Hongjoong:  
** i couldn’t sleep so i was working  
sort of  
it’s not exactly ~for work  
takin a break to look at cats  
also everyone else ignored me or said no, plus you did say you worked weird hours  
why are YOU up

 **wet blanket:  
** As they should  
and trying to focus on studying

 **Hongjoong:  
** what do you study

 **wet blanket:  
** Getting my DVM

 **Hongjoong:  
** huh

 **wet blanket:  
** Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

 **Hongjoong:  
** oh cool  
OH

 **wet blanket:  
** No

 **Hongjoong:  
** i wouldn’t need extra vet money for peanut!!!

 **wet blanket:  
** You very much would

 **Hongjoong:  
** but if she’s our cat :(

 **wet blanket:  
** Our??

 **Hongjoong:  
** when we break up i’ll even give you visitation rights

 **wet blanket:  
** You just want free veterinary care for YOUR cat >:(

 **Hongjoong:  
**...no  
your relationship with peanut is special and should be maintained

 **wet blanket:  
** Goodnight, Hongjoong

 **Hongjoong:  
** :(

 **_Your conversation with: woo_** ****

**joong:  
** i hate him


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hongjoong?”
> 
> His eyes snap up and his mouth immediately goes dry. Adjectives like "Long" and "Model" and "Angel fallen from the heavens" flash through his mind in rapid succession before it settles on one: hot.
> 
> “Me!” His voice squeaks from what he convinces himself is disuse. He clears it before continuing, “Uh, yeah, hi. Yes, that’s me. I’m Hongjoong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i am back!!
> 
> i wasn't kidding when i mentioned infrequent updates, but thank you all so much for your comments and kudos and patience as i slowly continue writing, the enthusiasm for this fun little project has been amazing
> 
> life updates since the last chapter!
> 
> fun fact, peanut was a real cat. or is, i assume
> 
> no, i did not adopt peanut
> 
> i DID adopt a bonded pair of kittens, however, and MAY have named them after ateez songs. i love them and would die for them without question. i brought them home on halloween and the first thing we did as a household was watch the black cat nero mv
> 
> i was also officially diagnosed with adhd and given medication!! i'm hoping this will result in more frequent updates as im more easily able to sit down and focus on writing. yay that!!
> 
> happiest of new years to all of you!! don't party too hearty tomorrow night, but absolutely adequately celebrate the end of this accursed year

The phone only rings twice before someone answers, but Hongjoong has already lost interest, choosing to poke at the items on Wooyoung’s desk instead. The desk itself is probably the size of Hongjoong’s whole cubicle area in the producers’ communal office downstairs, he thinks bitterly.

_“Hello?”_

“Huh? Oh hey. This is, uh, Hongjoong.”

_“Hey.”_

“You sound tired,” Hongjoong says without really thinking, more concerned with the photo of Wooyoung and San looking adorable and disgustingly in love placed on the desk in front of him. There’s a pause on the other end of the line.

_“Yeah. I just finished a shift at the clinic. Can we make this quick? I have somewhere to be in like, an hour and I need to get home to shower first.”_

“Oh, uh. Yeah, of course. Let’s keep it simple? I can text you the basics later. Like, I don’t know birthday stuff, favourite colours, hobbies, that fun stuff.”

_“Right. Fun.”_

Hongjoong laughs it off awkwardly, making eye contact with photo-Wooyoung. He places the frame face down. 

“Yeah. Uh, okay. The event is next Saturday. Normally I’d love to just be in and out but it’s a whole awards...thing,” he gestures to the empty office. Wooyoung has lunch with the CEO and a client and offered up the office for the phone call between Seonghwa and Hongjoong, given it was the only time the two of them could connect and it being the only place in the building he wouldn’t be overheard.

_“Are you nominated for something?”_

“Nah, I technically haven’t been an employee long enough. I’m still on probation, even though I was an intern for over a year.” Hongjoong blows upwards, causing the hair fallen over his forehead to flutter and mentally curses Eden again. 

_“Oh.”_

“Yeah.”

_“Sorry, that came off kind of mean. I’m just...tired.”_

“Right, yeah. That’s fine. Let’s just stick with as close to the truth as we can and say we met through San.”

_“That sounds good. What’s the dress code for the event?”_

“Real fancy. Like, black tie. I, of course, won’t be adhering so you should be fine in mostly whatever.”

_“No, that’ll be fine. I should have something appropriate in my closet.”_

“On a perpetual student’s salary?”

 _“Mmhmm.”_ He sounds distracted. 

“Cool,” he says, elongating the vowels. He’s met with silence. A brief, awkward silence.

Until Wooyoung slams the door open to the office.

“I’m going to _kill_ her,” he declares, not hesitating to walk directly past the comfortable chairs on the other side of his desk or the designer couch in front that’s perfect for naps, to sit right in Hongjoong’s lap. He grunts at the extra weight.

“Oh, thank God. Sorry, I gotta go. Plus you should probably go shower and do whatever thing you need to. I’ll text th--”

_“Did you just say ‘Oh, thank God’ because you have an excuse to end this call?”_

Hongjoong pauses and makes eye contact with Wooyoung, who isn’t even trying to hide his laughter.

“...No?”

He hears Seonghwa sigh.

“So, uh...I’ll see you next Saturday?”

He hears Seonghwa sigh again.

_“Yeah. Next Saturday.”_

Wooyoung pulls the phone from his hand and yells loudly into the mic, “Bye, Seonghwa-hyung!”

Hongjoong can hear some sort of greeting or dismissal from the other side of the line that gets cut off by Wooyoung hanging up. 

“Get off.”

“Get out of my chair, then.”

“I can’t get out of your chair until you get your scrawny ass off of me.”

Wooyoung jumps up and cranes his neck to get a good look at his ass, circling at least three times before pouting at Hongjoong. “It’s not scrawny.”

Hongjoong nods non-committally. 

“It’s _not._ ”

He ignores him. “My boyfriend hates me.”

Wooyoung walks behind the chair, squatting to get some leverage on the seat to lift it at an angle, causing Hongjoong to slide to the carpet, landing on his knees. 

_"You_ hate your boyfriend. He’s also not your boyfriend.” Wooyoung spins the chair around and sinks down into the very expensive, son-of-the-CEO cushions that Hongjoong could only dream of. 

“Semantics,” he says, waving the inconsequential detail off after he’s pulled himself up off the floor. Hongjoong hops up on the empty expanse of the desk. 

Wooyoung swats his thigh. “Move,” he instructs, reaching behind him to lift the frame off the desk that his friend had desecrated while he was gone. Hongjoong shimmies ever so slightly. 

“He hates you. You hate him. So what?” Wooyoung finally looks up at him. 

“First of all, I’m _delightful_. Hating me is a crime. A full on hate crime.”

“It’s not, but go on.”

“Second, obviously because of the blackmail situation, he’s not committed. I need my boyfriend-”

“Not your boyfriend.”

“-to be committed to the ruse or it’s destined to fail,” Hongjoong finishes without acknowledging his friend’s interruption.

“Wait, blackmail situation?”

Hongjoong blinks. “San didn’t tell you?”

“No. Well, maybe. He probably did and I didn’t listen,” Wooyoung supplies with a weak laugh, failing to hide his insecurity. He begins to fiddle with some errant stitching on a leather portfolio left on his desk. 

Hongjoong restrains himself from reaching out to pat his friend on the shoulder, knowing his hand would just be knocked away followed by a series of self-deprecating jokes. Though the couple has been together for a few years now, Wooyoung’s self-esteem regarding his relationship is nearly non-existent. Hongjoong blames the series of friends-with-benefits arrangements from college where Wooyoung repeatedly fell for said friend providing the benefits. None of the friends reciprocated.

Despite Hongjoong’s prompting, it took far longer than it should for Wooyoung to realize these arrangements were just not conducive to his happiness and contrary to depictions in dramas, it’s not a requirement for chaebols like him to have stone encasing their hearts until the right person comes along to chip away at the cracks. Wooyoung has always fallen in love so easily. 

With San it was within the five seconds of barging in on his meeting with his mother regarding a modelling contract. The rest is history, though Wooyoung’s innate fear of losing yet another person he loves is decidedly not. 

“You think you’re the only one who gets to blackmail people into doing my bidding?” Hongjoong asks lightly, testing to see if his friend wants to dwell in his insecurities or move on.

Wooyoung’s brows furrow. “When have I _ever_?”

Hongjoong begins to count on his fingers. “Your mom hiring me as an intern, that time you found that assistant making out with a client in a closet and you had her help me replace the batteries of Eden’s mouse with ones always on the verge of dying, that other time in college when you did some rich person digging and got that TA to tutor me when he didn’t want to, that _other_ time you-” 

“ _Eugh_ .” Wooyoung rolls his eyes. “All wrong. I lied, I didn’t blackmail my mom. I just showed her your demos without asking and she made a whole position for you, but you’re not allowed to know that because technically I stole your intellectual property or whatever and also we don’t want you to think you’re special or anything. The battery thing was more for me than you, I don’t care about your weird feud with your boss, I was just bored. And I didn’t do _rich person digging_ , I did rich person _bribing_. There’s a difference.”

“Wow. You haven’t done a single blackmail for me? Just say you hate me.” Hongjoong places a hand over his heart dramatically. 

“Very much so.” Wooyoung nods. “Now get out of my office. Contrary to popular belief I actually need to get some work done.”

Hongjoong raises an eyebrow.

“Fine, I was just about to email that assistant again to do the battery thing to Yunho. But _then_ I actually need to get some work done.”

**Your conversation with: wet blanket**

**Hongjoong:**

are you ready to meet your son

**wet blanket:**

My what?

**Hongjoong:**

or daughter

or gender neutral child

i don’t actually know if gender is a factor here

**wet blanket:**

I’m not following

**Hongjoong:**

you’re an animal doctor

do marimos have a gender???

**wet blanket:**

Hongjoong, Marimo moss balls are plants

You know this, right? Please tell me you know this

**Hongjoong:**

...yes, obviously

haha jokes i know they’re not alive

**wet blanket:**

Plants are usually alive

**Hongjoong:**

haha 

double jokes

im on a roll today

**wet blanket:**

Sure

**Hongjoong:**

_[IMG_sonboi.jpg]_

**wet blanket:**

Cute

Congratulations

**Hongjoong:**

:(

well you don’t have to be mean about it

**wet blanket:**

I’m being genuine!

Want to see mine?

_[IMG_mars4311.jpg]_

**Hongjoong:**

!!!!!!!

now thats a lorge ‘mo

**wet blanket:**

Yeah :)

**Hongjoong:**

i mean they’re cute and round, but they’re no peanut

the listing is down so i can’t gaze at him in his rotund glory anymore :(

i hope he’s happy in his new home :(

**wet blanket:**

She is

**Hongjoong:**

how would you know :(

**wet blanket:**

Her new owner is a patient at our clinic

She’s very cuddly

**Hongjoong:**

you got peanut cuddles??????

**wet blanket:**

I did

**Hongjoong:**

i don’t know whether to feel betrayed or remain in awe :(

**wet blanket:**

I can’t answer that for you

She’s very happy though

And well loved

**Hongjoong:**

that’s good :(

she probably wouldnt be nearly as happy with me if we’re honest

**wet blanket:**

Maybe

But your Marimo is lucky to have you

And would probably be happy if it were capable of feeling joy

**Hongjoong:**

i GUESS

oh i forgot to tell you, they’re sending a car for us

i’ll pick you up tomorrow??

**wet blanket:**

Sure

**Hongjoong:**

okay

see you then i guess

Hongjoong wills himself not to shiver. Sure, it’s mid-January and he should have known better than to leave his jacket at home, but he has no desire to deal with the hassle of coat check, especially since his plans don’t involve being outside for more than thirty seconds at a time. Well, they hadn’t been.

For some reason he thought it would be better to meet Seonghwa outside his apartment, as if the fancy car with the tinted black windows weren’t a dead giveaway of who was parked there. It feels a bit overkill, if he’s being honest, but Wooyoung had insisted.

Hongjoong checks his phone again.

**Your conversation with: wet blanket**

**Hongjoong:**

im downstairs

There’s no response. Hongjoong taps his foot in a steady rhythm before switching conversations.

**Your conversation with: woo**

**joong:**

he stood me up wtf

“Hongjoong?”

His eyes snap up and his mouth immediately goes dry. Adjectives like _Long_ and _Model_ and _Angel fallen from the heavens_ flash through his mind in rapid succession before it settles on one: _hot_.

“Me!” His voice squeaks from what he convinces himself is disuse. He clears it before continuing, “Uh, yeah, hi. Yes, that’s me. I’m Hongjoong.”

Seonghwa reaches out to shake his hand. Hongjoong feels small as he senses his date’s gaze scan his body from head to toe and back up again, taking him in. He feels even smaller when he does the same and realizes Seonghwa is decked out in designer labels.

“I like your skirt.”

Hongjoong glances down quickly, briefly forgetting what clothes he’d draped over his body for this cursed event. The pleated, black half-skirt isn’t flashy, but it complements the rest of his outfit well and it’s classy enough that it won’t be out of place.

“Oh! Uh, thanks. I made it myself, actually.” Hongjoong seizes up as Seonghwa reaches out to run some of the stitching between his thumb and forefinger. He nods.

“It’s well made. You in the industry?”

Hongjoong shakes his head back and forth quickly. “No, no. It’s just a hobby. I’m in music, actually?”

“Are you asking me?” The corner of Seonghwa’s lip turns up ever so slightly. 

“Music production. I’m a producer. I produce music.” He feels his cheeks heat up as the nonsense continues to spew from his mouth. “We should, uh, we should get going. I’m supposed to meet up with a friend. We’re, I mean. Both of us.”

Seonghwa nods and reaches for the door handle, pulling it open and gesturing for Hongjoong to enter first. He does, though not nearly as gracefully as he’d like. As Seonghwa settles in his seat, one leg crossed over the other with his fingers interlaced together and gently placed on his own knee, Hongjoong realizes he resents him a little bit for looking like he’s so at ease.

“Hongjoong?”

He’s pulled from his train of thought suddenly at Seonghwa’s prompting. “Hm? Sorry, I was...I didn’t hear. Sorry.”

The corner of his mouth lifts higher.

“I just asked where you work.”

“Oh! Yeah, JEC. I work with Wooyoung, actually. I mean technically I guess I work _for_ him but he’s not my direct boss or anything, so I don’t think it counts at all. He does though, the brat-”

Hongjoong stops mid-sentence as he notices the expression on Seonghwa’s face. 

“You okay?”

The smile that replaces it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course, I just hadn’t realized that’s where you work.”

“Is it a problem?”

Seonghwa shakes his head and places a reassuring hand on Hongjoong’s thigh, just above his knee. He squeezes softly as he says, “Not at all, Hongjoong.”

Hongjoong feels his entire mind go static as his brain short circuits. He fumbles pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

**Your conversation with: woo**

**joong:**

nvm

we met up

i’m going to die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year, all!!

**Author's Note:**

> please shower this narcissistic writer with kudos and comments
> 
> update schedule is irregular, i am so so sorry


End file.
